NSU Horizons Fall 2011

K athy Sandusky, regional director of Nova Southeastern University’s Jacksonville Student Educational Center (SEC), puts the emphasis on “C for community” when discussing what the Jacksonville and the other SECs mean to the cities in which they thrive. Sandusky’s job is to make sure everything runs smoothly at the Jacksonville SEC, including recruiting new students; overseeing staff, administration, and faculty; and coordinating community relations. She believes her role as director is to be visible in the community—to strengthen NSU’s existing relationships and build new partnerships. Through the years, she has been instrumental in setting up partnerships for NSU with 17 school districts and 10 institutions of higher education. “I feel it is part of my job to get in there and give my time and effort as a representative of NSU and on its behalf,” said Sandusky, who is a member of several groups including the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc.; the Florida State College at Jacksonville Education Advisory Committee; and the Banner Center for Global Logistics. Sandusky also believes SEC partnerships are important to begin a dialogue that can help with NSU recruitment and job placement. These partnerships provide a valuable service to the community, as evidenced when the Jacksonville SEC hosted Duval County School District’s “Principal for a Day” forum, providing an opportunity for community and business leaders to discuss lessons learned about the challenges of running a school. This year, the Jacksonville SEC offered its facility for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for virtual students in Duval County as well. “It was a way for us to be a good community partner by providing a site for these students to take their tests,” said Sandusky. “Previously, they had been shuffled around to different locations, but really had no one place to go for their testing. Now, we are considered their business partner.” The FCAT program at the Jacksonville center is a model program that may be introduced at NSU’s other SECs. In addition, the Jacksonville Student Educational Center partners with the Jacksonville Business Journal , African American Chamber of Commerce, and others to host seminars concerning issues of interest to the business commu- nity. NSU is a sponsor of the Naval Air show scheduled for November at the Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville. “Kathy has built a strong relationship between NSU Jacksonville and the rich resources of the community,” said Frank DePiano, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at NSU. “She knows where the trends are, what direction the community is heading in, and where the leadership is coming from. That really is the kind of knowledge base we need to help us with our primary goal, and that is to be able to serve students in that area to their fullest potential.” Sandusky, who has been with NSU since 1991, added, “The Jacksonville SEC will remain vital because it has the ability to support NSU and to educate all sorts of people, whether they are just coming out of high school or working adults needing a flexible class schedule or online classes.” n SECs Anchored in Communities Orlando 4850 Millenia Boulevard Orlando, Florida 32839-6012 Director: Cathy Anton (407) 264-5601 nsu-orlando@nova.edu Palm Beach 11501 North Military Trail Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410-6507 Director: George E. Dungee (561) 622-7018 nsu-palmbeach@nova.edu Tampa 3632 Queen Palm Drive Tampa, Florida 33619-1311 Director: Racquel A. Khuri (813) 574-5200 nsu-tampa@nova.edu 31 horizons by michelle f. solomon Kathy Sandusky of the Jacksonville SEC believes in community involvement.